MAC(A)BA BITES: SALAD GRINDS & BEAN PLANTS #52
_Mac(a)ba Bites _
(Orange Vanilla Maca Bites)
WORDS: Johnny Lozano
Close your eyes and picture the world’s most idyllic ledge spot. A medium-height ledge made of smooth granite, stretching a football field in length. Throw in some equally smooth flatground, a festive atmosphere, and some stairs for when you’re feeling more adventurous. And you know what? What the hell—take security guards out of the picture.
Barcelona’s MACBA (lesser known in the skateboarding world as Barcelona’s Museum of Contemporary Art) is arguably the most famous skate spot in the world. A source of proliferate footage for decades, MACBA marries the perfect ledge with an ambience of fraternal encouragement. On any given day, you’ll find ams and pros from all over the world getting inventive on ledges and down the (now) 3 block, all with the city’s blessing. The atmosphere is so conducive to great skating that it even spawned a brand. If you’ve had the pleasure of skating MACBA, you know what I mean; if you haven’t, you owe yourself the honor of that pilgrimage at least once in your life.
Rather than continue to sing MACBA’s praises, I wanted to do a top 5 of the best ledge lines at MACBA. Without further ado, here are five lines that perfectly encapsulate the heavenly setup that is MACBA:
- Bastien Salabanzi (Really Sorry): Not just an incredible line, but one he filmed multiple times. I would have landed it once and gone home, but you already know that’s not Bastien’s style.
- Sven Kilchenmann (Welcome to Vans): To be fair, any one of Sven’s Battalion lines could have made the cut, but this one blows my mind. Wow, that ender. I mean, the whole line is crazy, but if you’ve been there, you know that ledge-to-drop is no joke.
- Brian Wenning (The DC Video): Wenning and ledges, does it get any better? Only if the spot matches his chill vibes. While maybe not the most tech anyone has gotten at this spot, this line makes me want to skate it all the more.
- Fran Molina (Jart AM Video): That opening line is nuts for the obvious reasons, but also for the fact that he doesn’t actually skate the top ledge, thus showing the versatility of the spot.
- Stefan Janoski (Mosaic): Classic Stefan style showcasing the beauty of a smooth ground a flawless ledge. Even the nollie f/s flip in the middle highlights the beauty of the spot.
If you ever get the joy of skating MACBA, be prepared to stay for the majority of the day. You’re not going to get the boot and you’re never going to want to leave. In order for your legs to keep pace with your heart, you’ll need some quick and convenient energy bites to stay on the board. With that in mind, this week’s recipe harnesses the power of maca to keep you going.
Maca (not MACBA) is a Peruvian root that serves as an excellent source of energizing carbs and satiating protein. It is high in vitamin C, iron, and potassium, and has been espoused by some athletes as a supplement that increases endurance. With all that good news, you might be wondering what the catch is… it smells and tastes pretty harsh in powdered form. This is not one of those supplements you want to just add to water and guzzle down; however, when added to delicious orange vanilla date snacks that pack even more quick carbs, protein and potassium, maca is the perfect supplement for a day at MACBA.
I’m not saying that they have to be paired with an ice cold Estrella to round out the MACBA tribute… but I’m also not condemning that combination. Hey, that’s MACBA Life.
INGREDIENTS (Makes 12 Bars/Bites):
- 1 ½ cups pitted medjool dates
- ½ cup almonds
- ¼ cup toasted quinoa
- 3 tbsp. vanilla protein powder (I used hemp protein; unflavored works, too)
- 2 tbsp. maca powder
- zest of 1 orange
- ¾ tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp. juice from orange
- ½ tsp. sea salt plus more for sprinkling on top
DIRECTIONS:
- Start by toasting the quinoa; heat up a small pan on medium heat and add the quinoa, stirring for a few minutes until the quinoa looks slightly toasted and has a nutty aroma.
- Add the quinoa, dates, almonds, protein powder, maca powder, orange zest and salt to a food processor and process for 30-45 seconds or until the mix just starts to turn from powdery to gooey. Once you see that transition starting, add the juice from the orange and the vanilla extract and keep processing until the mix is gooey.
- Take the mix out of the food processor and add to a parchment-lined 9×9 baking pan. Sprinkle extra sea salt on top to taste and then put the pan in the fridge for 1-2 hours or until the mix is firm. Slice into 9-12 pieces.
- For best results, keep this covered and in the fridge; however, you can take these out for a few hours before eating, so they’re good to travel to perfect spots all over the world.
Happy shredding,
Johnny
For more recipes, check out_ www.saladgrindsandbeanplants.com _or find us on Instagram at @salad_grinds_and_bean_plants.
